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Hey, J Byrd. I followed a link posted by Steve to your 15 week powerifting peaking routine. I have my first competition in March and will start using your program 15 weeks out. My question involves assistance work. I currently do shoulders on a day by themselves. (I lift 4 days a week) Most of the exercises are more for building some shoulder muscle and aren't necessary for strength. However, I work heavy shoulder presses with a BB and DB's to help with my bench press, and I do shrugs to help with my DL. Should I keep this entire shoulder day with the extra exercises like db upright rows and lateral raises or should I just cut down to the core assistance exercises, OR should I just cut out the extra day for shoulders and add the presses to bench day and add the shrugs to DL day? ( I apologize for the bad grammar with all of the and's and or's. Not enough time to clean it up right now, lol) I would appreciate any advice you can offer. Thanks for your time!

__________________
"Why yes, yes I am on a cutting diet. If you touch my food, I WILL cut you."
"We should ban treadmills instead of guns. I have never been harmed by a gun while treadmills, on the other hand, routinely make me feel like I am dying."

Hey, J Byrd. I followed a link posted by Steve to your 15 week powerifting peaking routine. I have my first competition in March and will start using your program 15 weeks out. My question involves assistance work. I currently do shoulders on a day by themselves. (I lift 4 days a week) Most of the exercises are more for building some shoulder muscle and aren't necessary for strength. However, I work heavy shoulder presses with a BB and DB's to help with my bench press, and I do shrugs to help with my DL. Should I keep this entire shoulder day with the extra exercises like db upright rows and lateral raises or should I just cut down to the core assistance exercises, OR should I just cut out the extra day for shoulders and add the presses to bench day and add the shrugs to DL day? ( I apologize for the bad grammar with all of the and's and or's. Not enough time to clean it up right now, lol) I would appreciate any advice you can offer. Thanks for your time!

You have a few options. I would keep in the 4th day and do my shoulder movements, also train some biceps and tris. I would move the shrugs to an accessory on dead lift day. You would also probably need to do away with the 4th day during the final block of training. That is the time to just hit the core work and peak for the meet. Hopefully that answered some of your questions.

You have a few options. I would keep in the 4th day and do my shoulder movements, also train some biceps and tris. I would move the shrugs to an accessory on dead lift day. You would also probably need to do away with the 4th day during the final block of training. That is the time to just hit the core work and peak for the meet. Hopefully that answered some of your questions.

It did, JB. Thanks!

__________________
"Why yes, yes I am on a cutting diet. If you touch my food, I WILL cut you."
"We should ban treadmills instead of guns. I have never been harmed by a gun while treadmills, on the other hand, routinely make me feel like I am dying."

First post and a quick question about your BIG system. I can no longer do overhead pressing; I've had too many injuries over the last 2-3 years doing that and those have kept me out for quite a while. What type of substitution would you recommend for that lift? I was thinking either incline presses or dips.

First post and a quick question about your BIG system. I can no longer do overhead pressing; I've had too many injuries over the last 2-3 years doing that and those have kept me out for quite a while. What type of substitution would you recommend for that lift? I was thinking either incline presses or dips.

Thanks

Is it just the over head part that ist he issue? Or is it a whole rotator thing?

Nothing wrong with adding in some inclines and dips if that does not bother the shoulder

Hey, JB! I am using your 15 week peak routine to prepare for my first meet in March. I am in week 3, and I am really liking it so far. I am feeling stronger in my squat and deadlift already. It seems like my bench may be getting a little weaker, though. (one of my work sets is 315, and it has gotten more difficult each week) I don't know if it is the decrease in volume or (more likely) my choice of assistance exercises.

Before starting your plan I was doing my own version of a 5x5. For chest day I would do 5x5 on flat bench press and incline presses followed by 3-5 sets of 8-12 on a machine press. then I would do some triceps exercises (cgbp, etc). on your plan I have been doing bench press with my assistance exercises being incline presses (3x8) and cgbp (3x8). The first week I used some rack presses, but didn't feel like they did much good.

On Monday of this week I switched it around. I used flat bench press followed by paused bench press (3x8) and incline presses (3x8), and moved the cgbp's to my shoulder/arm day. I think this may work better than my previous choices.

Long story short, What is your input on this? Do you think it was my exercise choices? Should I leave it like it is now or do you see some other problem that I may be overlooking? I appreciate any input you may have. Thanks for any help you may be able to offer.

__________________
"Why yes, yes I am on a cutting diet. If you touch my food, I WILL cut you."
"We should ban treadmills instead of guns. I have never been harmed by a gun while treadmills, on the other hand, routinely make me feel like I am dying."